Sunday 30th October 2022

Woke to alarm at 0730. Aki put off heading for the Rowing Club, as it was pouring with rain. She made a Spanish omelette for breakfast, by which time the rain was easing off, so I offered to drive her over there...got there just in time for her to join a boat. I drove home via Waitrose, picking up some snacks to take in to the theatre. Came home and grabbed a few props and bits of costume, then drove to Stoke Newington...got there around 1300, by which time I'd conveniently missed the unloading of the van...my hernia repair being my excuse. The set went up very slowly, so we had quite a bit of sitting around to do...did some chores, but nowt excessive...wanted to preserve my energies for later in the week. However, we managed to do some cue-to-cue tech work on both sound and lights come the evening...finished about 2130 and drove home, having been sustained only by a couple of bananas.

Saturday 29th October 2022

Another fitful night's sleep...came up with a Plan B for the quick change, which you really think the costume designer might have come up with...black trousers for both Brevis and the Doctor...then at least I don't have to climb in and out of two pairs of troosers! Dozed to "Saturday Live" on R4 until 1000...Aki cooked breakfast. Decided to go take a look at the re-vamped Battersea Power Station. Took the Victoria Line to Oxford Circus, and then the Bakerloo to Embankment, where we boarded a River Bus to Battersea Power Station. The boat was a bit smaller than we were expecting, and there were no seats when we got on, but a load of people got off at Westminster Pier. The four re-built chimneys rise majestically skyward, having been re-built using exactly the same in situ concrete casting method as used originally in the early 1930s. Inside, the place is basically a large shopping centre on three levels, with a lot of up-market brand names jostling for prominence. There were queues at all the eateries, so we ended up walking back along the south side of the river, stopping at a little coffee joint for coffee and nata, and we picked up a BLT sandwich from a nearby mini-Sainsburys. Got home around 1730. I cooked a Goan fish curry for dinner, which we ate with pilau rice and steamed greens with chilli flakes and peanuts. Watched a bit of telly afore bed...

Friday 28th October 2022

Fitful night's sleep...spent an hour or so with my mind racing through the Act I quick change conundrum. Thus I later got out of the wrong side of the bed...need proper rest if I'm going to get my voice through the next few days! Got up around 0930 and threw breakfast together. Did an hour at the computer. After lunch, we cycled in to the Barbican via the New North Road. Had booked tickets to see "Decision to Leave" by Korean director Park Chan Wook. I found it somewhat difficult to suspend my disbelief when confronted with the almost super-human work ethic of the lead detective character, and the motivation of the suspect widow he was investigating and becoming infatuated with. Beautifully filmed and edited, though, with some ingenious contrivances using split screen techniques, and mobile text messaging (seen from the inside of the phone looking out...the text presented backwards). It was a bit too long though, and I had to fight off the desire to take a nap half way through! Cycled home via Waitrose. Chicken chasseur for dinner. watched a bit of telly...favourites, "Better Things", "Stuck", and "Seinfeld", and gave Guillermo del Toro's "Cabinet of Curiosities" a go...well done, but silly!

Thursday 27th October 2022

Alarm at 0800. I dozed until gone 0900, then got up and showered before porridging. Ventured out for our morning constitutional, walking up Highgate Hill to Waterlow Park, then back down to Archie's for a coffee. Ambled back home via Fairbridge Road. I flung a lunch together, then did some work at the computer before breaking to do a vocal warm up. Lynne from upstairs came down to do her washing...her machine had packed up! Aki cooked dinner...a sort of tomato and mushroom ragu, with orzo and pan fried courgette. Headed for Stoke Newington for what was our final rehearsal before the tech and dress runs early next week...the play is in good shape, but the finale dance routine is still all over the shop...and then there are the myriad quick changes! Not looking forward to next week, particularly. Got home around 2230. Aki had baked chocolate brownies, so the flat smelled very tasty!!!

Wednesday 26th October 2022

Alarm at 0730...Aki up early to ready herself for Rowing Club. I dozed for a bit before getting up and showering. Porridged. Aki cycled off to Springfield Park. I took a morning constitutional and walked up Highgate Hill, but only got as far the Whittington Hospital, as I dived into Archie's cafe for a flat white and a nata...the cafe is bigger than it looks from the street, opening out into a longer back room, with tables nicely laid out. I walked back home and did a bit of work at the computer. Aki having lunch at the cafe in Springfield Park, so I had a mug of her leek and potato soup, with croutons scattered over the top. I tried making a loaf of wholemeal bread, using the Waitrose bread mix, but despite leaving the dough to rest in a warm oven, the dough refused to rise...as a result I ended up with a very dense loaf, more akin to rye bread! Went through some lines before dinner...Aki cooked a chicken chasseur, with boiled potato and vegetables. Drove off for Stoke Newington in what I thought was good time, but the roadworks at Manor House are causing long, slow tailbacks. Tonight was a long night of trying on the costumes in the company of a fractious costume designer. The sci-fi costumes aren't fit for purpose, and are going to look particularly bad...but the Cater family looked good (as pictured). My First Act change from Brevis into the Dr. failed to get me back on stage in time...too much clobber to faff around with. The tech is going to be a nightmare! What have I got myself into?

Tuesday 25th October 2022

Woke around 0800 and dozed for a bit. Got up around 0900 and porridged. Did an hour at the computer, then we walked up to manor Gardens to take a look at the fallen trees...it had looked as I passed last night that a whole row of middle sized trees had been felled by the tornado, but in fact it was one huge tree, which luckily hadn't fallen across the Holloway Road, but had fallen on the pavement, taking out a phone box, and half of a neighbouring tree. Massive hole in the pavement! Went for a coffee at Green Room, then returned home to do some work. Broke for lunch. Managed another hour-and-a-half at the coal face, then did some lines before trying to warm the voice up. Aki pan fried some salmon for dinner, with chestnut rice, and a miso soup. I drove off to Stoke Newington, getting there just before 1900. Ran the whole play this evening. First half went seriously awry, when Sean jumped a few pages...luckily he was later able to find a way of getting us back on track, but it could have gone either way. I kept dropping lines in the opening scene of Act II...don't know why. Bit worrying. Got home around 2230. 

Monday 24th October 2022

Woke to alarm at 0730. Dozed until gone 0800, then hauled myself out of bed and ironed some trousers! Porridged, and warmed up some of Aki's leek and potato soup to take with me for lunch. Headed out at 0930...made for the petrol station at Sainsbury's in Manor House, then drove on to Maldon and some surrounding villages. Nice day...got unseasonably warm as the afternoon wore on. Had to get in to 10 units to do cursory internal inspections...hope no-one had the virus! Had my soup in a lay-by in Great Totham. Turned for home at 1715, getting back at 1845. Aki cooked up a carbonara for dinner. Watched Later with Jools... on the iPlayer.